Context in which communication takes place

One's culture, native languages and outlook shape their personal selves and have a bearing on their experiences and how they communicate with others. This form of communication serves as the basis and forms the nuances of communication. One of the most popular and well received models of inter-personal communication that appears as a transaction with one's self takes into consideration some of the key features of the communication process that include:.

It is very important to consider that all these stages or levels are internalized and brings into line all the elements that help in delivering a message. The preparation for communication includes developing a plan, initiating to resolve problems and internalized conflicts, along with examining the judgment one has of themselves as well as others. The interaction, however, has no external expression, but they borrow heavily from the experiences encountered in the external environment.

Interpersonal communication is mostly perceptible having an externalized expression as it involves two or more people. It can range from being very formal to intimate to impersonal. The second major context within the field of communication is interpersonal communication which normally involves two people, and can range from intimate and very personal to formal and impersonal. Group communication is generally defined as involving three to eight people.

The larger the group, the more likely it is to break down into smaller groups. When engaging with groups, you can observe factors like age, education, sex, and location to learn more about general preferences as well as dislikes.

You may find several groups within the larger audience, such as specific areas of education, and use this knowledge to increase your effectiveness as a business communicator. In public communication, one person speaks to a group of people; the same is true of public written communication, where one person writes a message to be read by a small or large group. The speaker or writer may ask questions, and engage the audience in a discussion in writing, examples are an email discussion or a point-counter-point series of letters to the editor , but the dynamics of the conversation are distinct from group communication, where different rules apply.

Social context is a personal matter. It involves the relationship of the speaker and the audience and the expectations involved in that relationship. The way an individual communicates with his employer will be different from the way he communicates with a drinking buddy.

The way a teacher makes a request to her students will be different from the way she communicates the request to her spouse. There is a time and place for everything, and that is where physical context comes in. The physical context involves the actual location, the time of day, the lighting, noise level and related factors. A speaker at a political rally might shout, pound the podium and use inflammatory language to get an audience excited.

At many political rallies, this type of behavior is expected. Doing the same thing with a small group of friends around a fireplace late at night would produce a very different reaction.

Justin Beach has been writing for more than a decade, contributing to a variety of online publications. He has a Bachelor of Science in computer information systems and additional education in business, economics, political science, media and the arts.